Survey: 13 million U.S. Facebook users don't use privacy controls

PanARMENIAN.Net - The debate over how much information to reveal on social networks is not a new one, but despite an increased awareness of the security issues associated with over-sharing on Facebook, a new report finds that many users still don't bother with privacy controls, PC Magazine reports.

According to a survey of about 2,000 households with Internet access, Consumer Reports projects that about 13 million U.S. Facebook users don't use or are not aware of the social network's privacy controls.

With more than 900 million users, however, that's only about .01 percent of those on the social network.

About 28 percent of respondents have their Facebook profiles open to more than just friends. This could be problematic, the report finds, because an estimated 4.8 million users have posted their whereabouts on Facebook, "a potential tip-off for burglars," while 4.7 million have "liked" a health-related page - "details an insurer might use against you," Consumer Reports said.

The report says that about 25 percent of Facebook users post fake information about themselves to protect their identities, which is up from 10 percent two years ago.

Last year, the Federal Trade Commission announced a settlement with Facebook that requires the social network to be more transparent about its privacy policies. According to the FTC, Facebook "deceived customers by telling them they could keep their information on Facebook private, and then repeatedly allowing it to be shared and made public."

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg addressed the settlement in a blog post, in which he acknowledged that Facebook has "made a bunch of mistakes" since its inception. Facebook "can do better," he said at the time. "I'm committed to making Facebook the leader in transparency and control around privacy."

In February, the Pew Internet & American Life Project found that Internet users are taking a more active role in managing and pruning their social networks, with 58 percent making their profiles private.

Last month, Facebook teamed up with several leading antivirus firms to launch an Antivirus Marketplace, which will allow users to download a six-month free trial of the companies' software.